*Chapter 202: I Am Indeed Amazing*

The next day, just as Mike had anticipated, more media outlets reported on the "mystery man" incident at the match, claiming that the man knew magic and helped Paul win the fight. This news gradually became a hot topic.

"Mr. Brad, is the person in the picture you?"

At the entrance of the film set in Las Vegas, a reporter from The Sun asked while holding up a newspaper.

"Yes, it's me. I was just wearing a hat, nothing mysterious about it."

Richard adjusted his baseball cap as he spoke. In the HBO broadcast footage, there was indeed a video of him walking into the audience, so there was no way to deny it.

"Mr. Brad, what were you doing in the audience at that time?" a reporter from USA Today asked.

"I was encouraging Paul, telling him to keep going and strive for the championship belt. Paul fought really well."

Richard spread his hands.

"Mr. Brad, some people are calling you a magician, saying that the only reason Paul could defeat Hashim was because you cast a spell," a reporter from The Los Angeles Times asked.

"Haha, that's an interesting take. I’ve seen that in the papers too, but unfortunately, I don't know magic. I'm just a regular guy," Richard joked.

"Mr. Brad, some people are saying that Paul used a new type of stimulant. What do you think about that?" a reporter from The Baltimore News asked.

"Baseless speculation, not worth commenting on. Sorry, everyone, I have work to do today. If you have any more questions, you can ask my agent, Mr. Royte!"

Richard introduced the man beside him, Bob Royte, and then turned and walked into the film set.

"Everyone, my name is Bob Royte, and I am Mr. Brad's boxing event agent. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask me."

Bob Royte stepped in to hold back the crowd of reporters.

---

"Hey, Richard, you're pretty popular these days."

On set, Sandra looked up from her script and said.

"Yeah, they say I'm a magician. Do you believe that?"

Richard chuckled.

"I do!"

Sandra smiled softly. "I've heard about little Ava's situation. Both Keanu and Jennifer say you're an amazing psychic."

"That was just a coincidence. Those two are too superstitious."

Richard shook his head.

"But I also think you're pretty amazing."

Sandra crossed her legs and gazed at him intently. "When I was twenty-two, I was still in school, with a very uncertain future, and here you are, a super boxing champion, a big star, a millionaire. Any one of those three accomplishments would take others decades or even a lifetime to achieve. Isn't that amazing?"

"Well, when you put it that way, I guess I am pretty amazing."

Richard smiled.

"Can you predict my future? When do you think I'll have kids?"

Sandra asked excitedly.

"Do you really think I'm a psychic? I told you I was just guessing."

Richard said helplessly.

"Well, make a guess for me then, quickly!"

Sandra playfully kicked him.

"Alright!"

Richard thought about it seriously. From what he remembered, Sandra didn’t seem to have kids.

"Sandra, are you married?"

"No!"

"Then why are you asking about kids?"

Richard shook his head. "You can ask about something else, like your career. In the future, your career will reach new heights, and you'll become a top star."

"Well, I could have guessed that too."

Sandra curled her lip, looking unimpressed.

Richard, feeling a bit competitive, decided to go all out. He closed his eyes, pinched his fingers together, and murmured for two minutes."Haha, what spell are you chanting?" Sandra laughed heartily.

Richard shook his head and said seriously, "I've figured it out. Within the next ten years, you'll win the Oscar for Best Actress."

"Uh, you chanted spells for that long and that's all you came up with? Haha~. Do I really need to predict that? I've been working in the film industry for over ten years. If I don't win an Oscar in the next ten years, then all my work would have been in vain."

Richard pulled a slight smile, "Fair point!"

After chatting for a while, the set was ready, and the crew resumed filming.

"Scene 142, Take 2, Action!"

---

After filming in Las Vegas for 11 days, the crew moved to Alamo City, Texas, for location shoots.

Alamo is a fortified city, close to the southern border with Mexico, filled with historical landmarks and a popular spot for film shoots.

Richard didn't have many scenes here, only 10 in total, which took four days to complete.

Once his scenes were wrapped up, Richard said goodbye to the crew and returned to Los Angeles.

"Did I hear back from the Pearl Harbor audition?" Richard asked as he sipped tea in the BAA office.

The casting process for Pearl Harbor had begun in late April, and he had auditioned for the lead role. He felt the audition went well and even had a good chat with Michael Bay, but he hadn't heard anything since, which puzzled him.

Anthony shook his head, "I was just about to tell you, the results came in two days ago, and you didn't get the part. We tried to push for it, but the studio didn’t give us a chance—they directly announced Ben Affleck as the lead."

"What was the reason? Was I not suitable? But that day, Director Michael Bay said I was perfect for the role, both in looks and character."

Richard frowned.

"From what we know, the studio initially wanted Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as the two leads, with Sally as the female lead, but Sally turned it down."

"I know about that—Sally’s shifted her focus and no longer takes on such 'pretty face' roles," Richard laughed.

"Then Matt Damon said he didn't have the time and also turned down the lead role. The studio decided to cast Ben Affleck as the lead, but then you entered the competition, directly vying for the lead role. The studio considered casting you as the lead and Affleck as the second male lead, but Affleck refused, so they decided to replace the second male lead with Josh Hartnett. Just as the cast was about to be finalized, Matt Damon came back, saying he'd dropped two projects to rejoin the crew. The studio decided to go with their original plan: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck."

"Fuck, those damn buddies!" Richard said, frustrated. The movie had a budget of $140 million, a super high-end project. If he had secured the lead role, his status would have been elevated by at least one level, but now it was all for nothing.

"Is there no chance at all?"

"No, once the audition results were out, we urgently contacted the studio, but they said the cast was finalized and wouldn't be changed. They suggested we collaborate on a future project."

Anthony spread his hands.

"Alright! We'll discuss this later. How are things going with The Lord of the Rings?"

"That’s going well. Peter Jackson likes you—he thinks you're tough, have a heroic appearance, and look great in period costume, which fits the role of a ranger. However, the studio thinks your asking price is too high. We asked for $5 million, but they said their budget is limited and offered $3 million. We’re still negotiating. What do you think?"

Richard thought for a moment, "Can I get a share of the profits?"

"Uh..."

Anthony scratched his face and laughed, "You're not quite at that level yet, are you?"

"Didn’t New Line say they were short on budget? They can convert my pay into a profit share, whatever the amount, just to see what they think."

Richard originally wanted to invest in this movie, but New Line had acquired the rights four years ago, so there was no chance of that.

"Alright, I'll give it a shot."

Anthony made a note.

"And what about Black Hawk Down?"

"We’ve sent them your details and military uniform photos. Director Ridley Scott wants to meet with you."

"Okay, arrange it!" Richard stretched, preparing to head home for some well-deserved rest.

Suddenly, a glint of light caught his eye. He blinked and was surprised to realize that the light was reflecting off the top of Anthony's head.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed that Anthony's hairline had receded significantly, and his hair had become thin and oily. His feelings became mixed.

"What’s wrong?" Anthony asked, touching his forehead.

"You’ve been busy lately, haven’t you? Don’t stress too much—take some time to rest."

Richard patted him on the shoulder.

"I know, I’m not that busy. Haven’t you noticed I’ve lost weight? That's from working out," Anthony smiled, flexing his arm.

Richard’s emotions grew even more complex. "Stop showing off. Why is your hair falling out so fast? I suggest you see a doctor and get checked out. It’s better to find any issues early and treat them."

"Haha, you mean this?" Anthony carefully scratched his head. "It's genetic. Old Nick was bald before forty, and I’m almost thirty. Losing hair is normal."

Richard thought about it. Anthony’s father was indeed bald, and suddenly he realized something worrying: Could he go bald too? If that happened, his looks would take a serious hit.

He ran his fingers through his hair—thick, dark, straight, and coarse. There didn’t seem to be any signs of balding, and his dad hadn’t lost hair in his thirties either.

Relieved, he thought to himself that having a non-balding ancestor was pretty great.

"Still, take care of yourself. Don’t stress too much. Even though I’m a millionaire now, I still interact with everyone as a regular person. Don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything—money or otherwise. No need to be shy."

Richard spoke sincerely.

Anthony rolled his eyes and pointed to the door. "You can leave now. Seeing you is making me irritated."

"Alright, but take care of your hair. Remember, your hair isn't just yours—it's ours too. We’re the same age, and seeing you lose hair makes me feel old too. It’s a terrible feeling."

"Got it, now go."

Anthony said impatiently.

Richard laughed and picked up his car keys, leaving the office.

Anthony shook his head, suddenly remembering something. He picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, Jessica, you wanted to talk to Richard, right? He’s back!"

After hanging up, he chuckled. That guy Richard was too idle—time to give him something to do, like mingling with the company’s actresses. That would suit him perfectly.

---

(End of Chapter)